Chusetts



(No Model.)

J. H. CONNOR 85 T. F. BLESSINGTON.

ROTARY SHUTTLE OPERATING MECHANISM FOR SEWING MACHINES.

No. 366,929. Patented July 19, 1887.

a. luu

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN H. CONNOR AND THOMAS F. BLESSINGTON, OF HAVERHILL, MASSA- CHUSETTS.

ROTARY-SHUTTLE-OPERATING MECHANISM FOR SEWING-MACHINES.

SPECIFICATION iorming part of Letters Patent No.366.929, dated July 19, 1887.

Application filed May 22, 1886.

Serial No. 203,003. (No mode.)

have invented certain new and useful Im-' provemcntsin Sewing-Machines, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to that class of lockstitch sewing-nmchines in which the bobbin having the lower thread is held by a circular shuttle which is rotated in a circular track or raceway,and particularly to machines incl ud ed in said class in which the shuttle is rotated by pins which move in a circular path and are moved longitudinally, so as to alternately enter-and withdraw from holes formed for their reception in the shuttle, the arrangement being such that the upper or highest portion of the shuttle is always separated from the d riving-pins, so that anunobstructed space always exists at both sides of the shuttle when the hook thereof is entering the needle-loop, and no obstruction is offered to the loop when the shuttle is passing through it.

The invention consists in the improved mechanism, hereinafter described, whereby the shuttle-driving pins are rotated and moved alternately into and out of engagement with the shuttle.

The invention also consists in the means employed to prevent injurious contact between the needle and the hook or point of the shuttle, all of which we will now proceed to de scribe and claim.-

Of the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, Figure 1 represents a longitudinal section of a portion of the .bed of a sewing machine, showing our improvements partly in side elevation and partly in section. Fig. 2 represents a section on line 00 x, Fig.1. Fig. 3 represents a section on line ,1 y, Fig. 1; and Fig. 4. represents a section on line 2 z, Fig. 3.

The same letters of reference indicate the same parts in all the figures.

In the drawings, a represents the bed of a sewing-machine of the lockstitch pattern, andb represents the throat-plate thereof.

0 represents the fixed circular raceway or guide in which the shuttle d is rotated. The construction of the raceway and shuttle may be the same as in other machines of this class, these devices constituting no part of our invention. The shuttle has a hook or beak, as

usual, and may be provided with any suitable means for holding the usual bobbin and bobbin-case.

6 represents a shaft journaled in bearings f, attachedto the bed of the machine, said shaft being substantially at right angles with the plane in which the shuttle rotatcs'and in line with the axial centerof the shuttle. is rotated by the power of the machine by a beltor other connection with the driving mechauism.

(1 represents a disk or head attached to one end of the shaft 0 in close proximity to the shuttle, but separated therefrom by a narrow space, the adjacent sides of the disk gand shuttle (I being parallel.-

reprcscnt pins or rods located in orifices formed transversely through the disk g at opposite sides of and parallel with the shaft 6, said pins being adapted to slide lengthwise in said orifices. engaged with a ring or circular plate, j, which is adapted to rotate in a diagonally-arranged circular guide or holder, k, which is aftixedto the bed a, the guide or holder and the plate The shaft I The rear ends of the pins 2' i are held or journaled therein being diagonal to the shaft 0, as shown in Fig. 1. The rear ends of the pins i are rounded and inserted in correspondinglyshaped radial slots m, formed in the diagonal plate j.

It will be seen that the rotation of the shaft 0 causes the pins i to revolve around said shaft, while the engagement of thepins'i with the diagonal plate j causes said plate both to rotate in its holder and to move the pins endwise alternately toward and from the shuttle. 0

The pins are thus caused to alternately enter and withdraw from coinciding orifices 0 0, formed in the shuttle, and, by their revolving motion around the shaft 6, to rotate the shuttle in its raceway. j is such that each pin when at the highest point reached in its revolution is withdrawn from the shuttle, the end of the pin being drawn inside of the face of the head 9, and

when at its lowest point is engaged with the [O0 shuttle. It will be seen, therefore, that both sides of the shuttle are unobstructed when the The inclination of the plate 5 hook or beak is in position to enter the needleloop, so that there is nothing to prevent the entrance of the hook into the needle-loop and its passage therethrough.

It will be observed that the pins ii move endwise, or reciprocate in directions parallel with the shaft and at right angles with the shuttle, so that the holes formed for their reception in the shuttle do not require to be so large as they wouldnecessarily be if the pins were inclined relatively to the shuttle. The engagement of the pins with the shuttle is positive and certain.

To prevent the possibility of the needle being deflected, so as to stand directly in the path of the hook when the latter is advancing, we provide the disk 9 with a lip, g, which. projects into and across the opening in the shuttle in advance of t-he'hook, and is. formed to bear against the needle 1" just before the point of the hook reaches the needle,and prevents the latter from springing inwardly or standing in front of the hook, so as to be broken or injured thereby; It will be remembered that the lip 9' moves with the shuttle, and therefore bears against the needle only while the hook is approaching it and beginning to enter the needle-loop. The edge of the lip 9 that bears against the needle is beveled, as shown in Fig. 1, so that in case' the needle-point is sprung inwardly it will strike the said beveled edge and will be deflected outwardly thereby. The ends of the'lip are beveled toward the face of the head g, so as not to catch and wind up any thread. The beveled form of the forward end of the lip enables the lip to gradually force the needle outwardly in case the latter is sprung or bent, so that if the point of the needle has descended below the guard the beveled forward end of the latter will force the bent or deflected needle back to its proper position without injury to the point of the needle and without allowing it to strike the shuttle.

\Ve have shown three pins 2 and a corresponding number of holes aim the shuttle; but it it is evident that two or any desired larger number may be used.-

The plate j is annular, and the shaft e passes through it, as shown in Fig. 3.

It will be observed that the disk or platej is flat and stands in a diagonal plane, so that it gives the pins '6 a regular reciprocating motion different from the irregular reciprocating motion which would be imparted by a cam.

. We claim 1. The combination, with the rotary shuttle and its raceway or holder, of the rotary disk or head 9-, the pins 73, adapted to slide in said head into and out of coinciding orifices formed in the shuttle, the fixed diagonal holder la,and

the ring or plate j, adapted to rotate in said holder and engaged, as described, with the inner ends of the pins 13, as set forth.

2. The combination, with the rotary shuttle and its raceway or holder, of the fixed diagonal holder is, the ring or plate j, adapted to rotate in said holder, the shaft (2, passing through said plate and holder,the disk or head g on said shaft, and the pins i,adapted to slide in saidhead into and out of coinciding orifices in the shuttle, and engaged, as described, with the diagonal ring or platej, as set forth.

3. The combination of the needle, the rotary shuttle, the rotary disk or' head g, rotating with the shuttle, and the lip g,formed on said disk and having its forward edge beveled, as

described, said beveled edge being in ad vance of the hook or beak of the shuttle and formed 

